Social Science Research Council

How many people have died in Darfur and what is the value of this information? The recent ruling by the British Advertising Standards Authority that Save Darfur was guilty of misrepresenting the figure of 400,000 deaths as "fact" rather than, in its view, as "opinion," has ignited a controversy that has long haunted advocacy around [...]

(The following essay is posted on behalf of Selma Scheewe. The author based this essay on her Thesis titled “Sexual Violence and HIV/AIDS in Conflict-ridden Darfur”, at the University of Groningen.)
Introduction
Sexual violence is a prominent aspect of many recent conflicts. In the media and the reports of humanitarian agencies, this sexual violence is often linked [...]

(This entry originally appeared as a comment in the thread “Is Climate Change the Culprit for Darfur?“.)

Social Psychologists have defined aggression as either instrumental or hostile. Instrumental aggression is impersonal and strategic. It’s business. Hostile aggression is hateful. [...]

by Alex de Waal and Sam Rosmarin

Every month, we hear advocates and humanitarian organizations saying that the situation in Darfur is once again deteriorating. The Sudan government says the opposite. It is unusual for an independent observer such as Gerbert van der Aa to make the case that things are not as bad as they are painted. What is the basis for these claims and counter-claims? Is it violent deaths, overall mortality and malnutrition, levels of displacement, security incidents affecting humanitarian agencies, or some other indicator? [...]

(posted on behalf of Gerbert van der Aa, a Dutch historian and journalist who specializes in Africa north of the equator. Van der Aa has been visiting Sudan regularly since 1994 and is currently writing a book on the country.)

I was in Darfur in May to work on a book. I was really shocked to see that the situation on the ground is much better than what we are made to believe by aid organizations and many Western media. According to the UN, malnutrition rates are half of what they were in 2003 and most people in Darfur now have access to clean drinking water. Also, violence is much less than three years ago. [...]